kenny williams - $30 million for one player is insane

[wannabegriffey]

I agree.

He goes on to say a work stoppage isn't a bad idea if it helps create a salary cap system.

http://www.csnchicago.com/02/21/11/Sox-Drawer-Williams-says-no-to-Pujols-in/landing_soxdrawer_v3.html?blockID=414958&feedID=661

[Sour Masher]

This is the stance I've taken with my fantasy teams and I think it has cost me some rings. I like to spread my money around, because I fear how devestating one injury can be. This has ensured that I compete every year, but this sentiment, I think, leads to truly elite players being undervalued when they don't get hurt. I don't think most value systems accurately reflect the true value of truly elite players like Pujols and Halladay. If Pujols continues to be Pujols, he is worth more than $30 million a year, both in real production, and in fan support. On a fantasy team, likewise, a truly elite player who performs as one of the top 2-3 players in the league, I think, is more valuable than their ADP or average price by a long shot.

But in real baseball, the issues isn't their single season worth but their worth over the entire contract. Pujols is totallys worth $30 million for 2011. It is hard for me to imagine that he will be worth $300 million over the next 10 years.

[DJBeasties]

This the next generational contract to shape the next 10-15 seasons. Someone will get $50 million per year and then this will look like no big deal. It's a ridiculous balloon inflation and I really wish they'd use a league-wide $130 million salary cap and slowly increase like the NFL does.

[Sour Masher]

I think the exponential rise in salaries is tapering out. It's reached a critical mass. It looked so extreme for a long time, because when it started, with the development of free agency and a stronger labor union, players were given a much smaller piece of the revenue pie. I don't think there is anywhere to go from here. I don't think we'll see a $50 million per year for about 15 years, when inflation turns $50 million into about what $30 million is today, and even then, it would take a Pujols level talent to land it. In inflation adjusted dollars, I think Pujols' deal, and Arod's two deals, will be in the top 5 most lucrative team sports contracts for the foreseeable future.

[cool hand]

amen, kenny.

[ThatRogue]

Well, how much is MLB now making and dividing from MLBAM and the TV contracts, over and above what they were making in 2001, when A-Rod signed? You can't compare player salaries to past player salaries...you have to compare player salaries to overall revenues in evaluating whether $30M per season is too much for a player who significantly impacts on-field performance and thus gate revenues and potential playoff revenues.

[Gregg]

If the new owners of the Cubs want to spend what it takes to get Pujols, I say hurah! And Thank You!

In this case it is taking the three bad contracts (money already spent) of Fukudome, Silva, and Pena and using that money for Big Al. With 4 million left over. We have replacements already on the roster. They can add him without affecting payroll. As insane as it may seem it is a good trade off. Much better than putting the money back in their pockets.

[Phineas to Ferb]

I'd love to see some sort of real salary structure, not to keep costs in line so tickets can be cheaper or because by some general sense players make "too much" (insert hyberbolic, cliched retoric about teachers earning $30K a year), but so that teams can be competitive against one another on the field. I don't care if players make an average of $10 million a year, just so that everyone has the same possibility for acquiring talent. Unfortunately we're not going to see it, because there is no all encompassing national tv contract split evenly among the teams. Some teams (Cubs, Yankees and at one time, the Braves) had so much value in the franchise because they were cheap programming and generated a lot of advertising revenue/subscriptions.